High Pulls as a Main Lift?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Christian Thibaudeau Coaching
1

on the snatch grip high pulls, i plan to incorporate this into my upper body “pull day.”

would this be a good exercise to consider as a main/core lift on this day?

currently i 4 sets of 3 different types of pull-ups/chins for my main exercises. then have 2 pull accessory lifts and usually 1-2 direct bicep movements.

i feel like my upper/middle back thickness is lacking a bit and i could benefit from the high pulls to create some thickness and depth.

whats your thoughts?

2

The SGHP was one of the core lifts of the original layer routines. 2 sessions a week.

3

How do high pulls compare to hang cleans/power cleans in terms of increasing overall performance and mass? Prefer hang cleans personally, but full cleans would definitely be doable. Just trying to plan ahead for when my current program concludes in 2 months.

I know CT loves high pulls, and I definitely get some great “yoke” development out of them. Wondering if cleans would add more speed/explosiveness though through the technical aspects.

4

[quote]Apothecary wrote:
How do high pulls compare to hang cleans/power cleans in terms of increasing overall performance and mass? Prefer hang cleans personally, but full cleans would definitely be doable. Just trying to plan ahead for when my current program concludes in 2 months.

I know CT loves high pulls, and I definitely get some great “yoke” development out of them. Wondering if cleans would add more speed/explosiveness though through the technical aspects. [/quote]

Any form of explosive pulls if done for 3-5 reps per set will build the “yoke”. This means power clean/snatch variations (power clean from the hang, power snatch from the hang, power clean from floor, power snatch from floor, power clean from blocks, power snatch from blocks) and pulls (snatch high pulls from hang/blocks/floor, snatch low pulls from hang/blocks/floor, clean high pulls from hang/blocks/floor, clean low pulls from hang/blocks/floor).

So you do not have to limit yourself to only one lift. From experience, you will get a little bit more mass stimulation from high pulls than from cleans/snatches. But the cleans/snatches will give you more power and explosiveness.

But you can do both, you can even do both as one set.

For example here’s a complex I had a client do this morning:

3 clean high pulls + 3 power cleans from the hang + 4 shrugs with 2 seconds hold at the top

for 4 sets.

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[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

But you can do both, you can even do both as one set.

For example here’s a complex I had a client do this morning:

3 clean high pulls + 3 power cleans from the hang + 4 shrugs with 2 seconds hold at the top

for 4 sets.[/quote]

Wow, thanks CT, that’s great information. Assuming that, since it’s a complex, the bar was not re-racked during that set? That looks awesome.

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[quote]Apothecary wrote:

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

But you can do both, you can even do both as one set.

For example here’s a complex I had a client do this morning:

3 clean high pulls + 3 power cleans from the hang + 4 shrugs with 2 seconds hold at the top

for 4 sets.[/quote]

Wow, thanks CT, that’s great information. Assuming that, since it’s a complex, the bar was not re-racked during that set? That looks awesome.[/quote]

Actually it was… my goal is to build muscle so if grip strength is an issue then re-racking for 5 seconds between steps is perfectly acceptable if performance is enhanced.

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i’ve tried cleans many times but it cranks on my wrists so hard i cant consistently do them without problems… but the high pulls look like a nice alternative to getting that explosive power and thick upper back/yoke that i need to work on.

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ive added the snatch grip high pulls and hex bar farmers walks for cardio… pretty sure i just watched my yoke grow in a few days. those exercises hit parts of the upper back i’d been missing for a while.

thanks for sharing your articles CT.

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[quote]ty_ty13 wrote:
ive added the snatch grip high pulls and hex bar farmers walks for cardio… pretty sure i just watched my yoke grow in a few days. those exercises hit parts of the upper back i’d been missing for a while.

thanks for sharing your articles CT.[/quote]

If you want to look like a beast, these are the two best movements to do the job.